Too many exemptions visa on my passport...

[Darafarangset]

Hi everyone, 

 

Me and my bf arrived in Thailand on October 2016, had a tourist visa on our passports (French passports) that allowed us to stay 2 months. We decided to stay longer, went to the immigration office to get 30 more days. 

 

At the end of these 3 months : got out of the country and flight back to Bangkok and got an exemption. 

 

From January until today we've been staying in Thailand on exemptions and extensions at immigration. 

So it's been almost 8 months. 

 

Last time we arrived in DMK (April 2017) the IO informed me that her computer was showing an alert, questioned me, asked me for my flight-back ticket, which I had by chance... 

My boyfriend didn't get any trouble, the IO just stamped and didn't mention any "alert"

 

So... 

We'd like to stay longer but I know it's going to get really suspicious to the IO and I don't want to be denied at the airport... 

So I was wondering if we go to Vientiane and make a real tourist visa (60 days) like we did the first time, would it be less suspicious to the IO? Or would it still be the same? Would they still be asking for documents? Or flight back tickets? 

 

And last thing: I was wondering if the Thai ambassy in Vientiane would even give us that tourist visa seeing all these stamps on our passports...

 

 

Thank you for your help :) 

Edited April 20, 2017 by Darafarangset

[Los Luver]

It won't help getting a visa from the embassy in Laos. They will still be suspicious. You are flagged now.

It seems like you are living in Los. the immigration police started to crack down on visa runners. Los doesn't benefit from this kind of "tourists", claim the authorities

[Darafarangset]

5 minutes ago, Los Luver said:

It won't help getting a visa from the embassy in Laos. They will still be suspicious. You are flagged now.

It seems like you are living in Los. the immigration police started to crack down on visa runners. Los doesn't benefit from this kind of "tourists", claim the authorities

Thank you for your answer. 

I'm sorry you said in from "Los"? What is it? I'm from France

[bangkokbanjo]

Los stands for land of smiles, which is what thailand is called

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[Los Luver]

well

Los = land of smiles = Thailand

[Darafarangset]

12 minutes ago, Los Luver said:

It won't help getting a visa from the embassy in Laos. They will still be suspicious. You are flagged now.

It seems like you are living in Los. the immigration police started to crack down on visa runners. Los doesn't benefit from this kind of "tourists", claim the authorities

 

1 minute ago, bangkokbanjo said:

Los stands for land of smiles, which is what thailand is called

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Oh okay sorry didn't know that word :) 

so what is your best advice? Try again with an exemption or just leave and come back next year? 

[Los Luver]

 

[elviajero]

48 minutes ago, Darafarangset said:

So I was wondering if we go to Vientiane and make a real tourist visa (60 days) like we did the first time, would it be less suspicious to the IO? Or would it still be the same? Would they still be asking for documents? Or flight back tickets? 

Getting a visa will definitely help and increase the chance of you not being denied entry.

 

Make sure you have at least 20K baht in cash (each) when you enter. If possible have onward flight bookings and or hotel bookings. It's unlikely they will be asked for, but will help if they start looking for reasons to deny entry.

 

53 minutes ago, Darafarangset said:

And last thing: I was wondering if the Thai ambassy in Vientiane would even give us that tourist visa seeing all these stamps on our passports...

Yes they should give you a visa. They won't be bothered about the previous visa exempt entries/extensions. 

[ukrules]

They are looking for excuses to deny you entry, you know this already.

 

Do you feel welcome ?

[BritTim]

I am quite confident that you would get a single entry tourist visa in Vientiane, and be able to reenter Thailand without difficulty at this point. You have not been in the country long enough for them to single you as a long stayer on tourist entries. However, if you are considering staying another six months or year or longer, you should be investigating alternatives to tourist visas.

[bangkokbanjo]

Education visa work well

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[IMA_FARANG]

YOU ARE BEING SUSPECTED OF WORING IN Thailand.

You need to show your income is in fact from outside Thailand and not earned in Thailand by working here, without a work permit.

 

Edited April 20, 2017 by IMA_FARANG
Added a comment

[steven100]

24 minutes ago, bangkokbanjo said:

Education visa work well

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A person entering Thailand is required by law to have the appropriate visa for which their intended stay pertains to.

As the OP is not and education teacher an ED visa would not be the correct visa.

[bangkokbanjo]

I know several people here who are getting ed visas at language schools. Its worked very well for them. They would need to initially get in, but once here it is easily obtained.

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[stevenl]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

They are looking for excuses to deny you entry, you know this already.

 

Do you feel welcome ?

Nonsense, they want legitimime tourists.

[buick]

hi darafarangset,

 

using tourist visas and visa exempt entries to stay in thailand for long periods is a sensitive topic here on thaivisa.com.  some claim it is an abuse of the system.  i've spent 8 to 9 months a year here for the last 10 yrs using this method.  the rules change every few years and you have to adjust.  immigration doesn't like visa exempt entries, i got stopped about 5 years ago and was told to use more tourist visas and fewer visa exempt entries.  have not been stopped again.  as others have noted, you should be fine getting a tourist visa in laos.  but plan to carry 20,000thb (per person) and proof of a flight out of thailand each time you enter the country (unless you've gone back to france for a few months and then return).

[ubonjoe]

7 hours ago, Los Luver said:

It won't help getting a visa from the embassy in Laos. They will still be suspicious. You are flagged now.

It seems like you are living in Los. the immigration police started to crack down on visa runners. Los doesn't benefit from this kind of "tourists", claim the authorities

Wrong info.

The flag you wrote about is an alert that only comes up for to many visa exempt entries. Entering on a tourist visa will not bring it up.

The immigration officers on entry are telling people with to many visa exempt entries to get a visa for their next entry.

 

[wump]

Sorry to hijack the topic: So me coming in exempt (30+30+7+2 days) last November, coming back after 1 month with a TR visa (60+30 days) I should be okay to just do another border run to gain another 30+30? Can't really be bothered to get another TR visa as I only need another 1 month, 2 maximum.

Edited April 21, 2017 by wump

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, wump said:

Sorry to hijack the topic: So me coming in exempt (30+30+7+2 days) last November, coming back after 1 month with a TR visa (60+30 days) I should be okay to just do another border run to gain another 30+30? Can't really be bothered to get another TR visa as I only need another 1 month, 2 maximum.

Yes you could.

[JackThompson]

8 hours ago, Darafarangset said:

Oh okay sorry didn't know that word :) 

so what is your best advice? Try again with an exemption or just leave and come back next year? 

Tourist Visas are NOT the same as Visa Exempt entries, which have different rules, as expressed in Police Orders, which state they are NOT to be used for semi-continuous stay.  Please disregard posters who seem to dislike other, especially younger, foreigners staying in Thailand.  Oh How I Wish I had found this place when I was young!!
 

The only reasons Immigration can legally deny entry with a Tourist Visa are for "No means to support oneself," "Suspicion of working illegally," or a national-security issue (terrorism, etc).  Some points-of-entry have IOs with what would seem to be an "anti-foreigner" attitude, and have been known to deny entry for reasons they know to be false.  The vast majority of the time, however, rejections have occurred for completely preventable reasons. The following are some basic guidelines to stay here for longer periods of the year using Tourist Visas, to avoid problems:

• Be polite at all times, regardless of the attitude of the official you are dealing with.  Don't act like it is an imposition on you to answer questions - you are a guest.  Come back to this forum and vent later, if treated badly (and let us know where, so we can avoid that person/location).
• Always have 20K+ Baht in cash or travelers checks worth of any convertible currency.  Not having this is the reason for almost every denial of entry with a Tourist (and other) Visa. 
• Ideal to have proof that your income comes from abroad.  This would help assure a genuinely-curious IO how you can afford to be here without working illegally.  Bank statements may be helpful.
• Have proof of where you are staying - either a hotel-booking or condo-lease.  "Staying with a friend" has caused problems for some, even at generally friendly checkpoints.  IOs are required to know, and input into their computer, your intended stay-location.  Be honest.
• Be aware of Unfriendly Points Of Entry - Poipet (the worst), Ranong, and Airports.  Some airports are "worse" than others (Swampy is considered the least-bad - though some have had troubles there).  I choose to avoid them entirely, because - if refused - you cannot simply return to Laos, Cambodia, or Malaysia and try another location and/or day (those countries will cancel your exit-stamp, and you can continue as if you never left).  At an airport, you would be put in detention until you purchase a last-minute flight out to where you just came from, or your passport-country; this is expensive, and who likes to be locked up?
• Get your Tourist Visas from different countries - spread them out.  This allows more Tourist Visas in total, because individual consulates will start rejecting your applications after getting a few there, based on their own, unique, locally-invented rules of issuance.  After 2 years or so, you will need to get a new passport to obtain more Tourist Visas locally, because of these "consulate rules," which are based entirely on what is visible in the passport used with your application.  Be aware, though - Immigration can see everything in your history when you enter the country, so a new passport does not change the other guidelines, above, for entering the country.
• Have an answer prepared for the question, "What do you do in Thailand so often."  You should have an honest answer to this question.  If working-illegally, please STOP doing so, and leave now.  It's immoral / evil to take jobs from people in their home-country where they support their families.
• Have an answer prepared for the question, "How long do you intend to stay in Thailand."  Limit your answer to your Current Entry plans.  If you go off about staying years, or getting an ED visa in the future (never mention ED - never), you may irk an IO who cannot take long vacations like you, or who doesn't like "so many Farang" here, or whatever.  Think of it is not bragging / being arrogant to the guy's face.

Edited April 21, 2017 by JackThompson

[Mark123456]

Darafarangset,

 

You will almost certainly be fine if you go to Vientiane and get a visa. There seem to be a lot of posts replying to you that are not based on facts. I have a 48-page passport filled with a variety of visas for Thailand and a number of visa-exempt entries, clearly showing that I've been here for 7 years without being out of the country for more than two weeks and I obtained a tourist visa in Vientiane last September with no problems at all.

[wump]

I too have 48-page passport completely covered in blue and green stickers. I never had trouble even though they always take their time to examine my passport at the border and eventually do stamp me, but they don't exactly smile at that . I guess the key is to not spent more than 9 months a year over here if not on a proper visa?

Edited April 21, 2017 by wump

[Darafarangset]

8 hours ago, elviajero said:

Getting a visa will definitely help and increase the chance of you not being denied entry.

 

Make sure you have at least 20K baht in cash (each) when you enter. If possible have onward flight bookings and or hotel bookings. It's unlikely they will be asked for, but will help if they start looking for reasons to deny entry.

 

Yes they should give you a visa. They won't be bothered about the previous visa exempt entries/extensions. 

Thank you for tour answer, I'll make sure I have that cash amount when we come back + flight ticket :) 

[Darafarangset]

5 hours ago, BritTim said:

I am quite confident that you would get a single entry tourist visa in Vientiane, and be able to reenter Thailand without difficulty at this point. You have not been in the country long enough for them to single you as a long stayer on tourist entries. However, if you are considering staying another six months or year or longer, you should be investigating alternatives to tourist visas.

Thank you BritTim, 

I think our next visa will be the last for this year :) better to minimise the risks and "start over" next year to stay low key

[Darafarangset]

4 hours ago, IMA_FARANG said:

YOU ARE BEING SUSPECTED OF WORING IN Thailand.

You need to show your income is in fact from outside Thailand and not earned in Thailand by working here, without a work permit.

 

Can I show like a screenshot of my bank statement? Or should I have something printed? This might look like a stupid question but they could tell me "we don't accept screenshots" or whatever so I don't get in the country...

[bangkokbanjo]

Umm, yeah..that's cute but screen shot wont fly

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[Darafarangset]

3 hours ago, bangkokbanjo said:

I know several people here who are getting ed visas at language schools. Its worked very well for them. They would need to initially get in, but once here it is easily obtained.

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Thank BangkokBanjo :) 

yes, our plan for next year is to come as tourist first then find a school asap to make an ED visa. 

I know they check a lot these "students" but as we look like 20 yo (though we're on our 26) and really want to learn Thai, I guess it's a good alternative :) 

[Darafarangset]

2 hours ago, buick said:

hi darafarangset,

 

using tourist visas and visa exempt entries to stay in thailand for long periods is a sensitive topic here on thaivisa.com.  some claim it is an abuse of the system.  i've spent 8 to 9 months a year here for the last 10 yrs using this method.  the rules change every few years and you have to adjust.  immigration doesn't like visa exempt entries, i got stopped about 5 years ago and was told to use more tourist visas and fewer visa exempt entries.  have not been stopped again.  as others have noted, you should be fine getting a tourist visa in laos.  but plan to carry 20,000thb (per person) and proof of a flight out of thailand each time you enter the country (unless you've gone back to france for a few months and then return).

Hi Buick, thank you for searching your experience with me and the informations :) 

this new tourist visa will probably be the last for this year, as I know that I'm already flagged it's better to go home and come back later

[Darafarangset]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Wrong info.

The flag you wrote about is an alert that only comes up for to many visa exempt entries. Entering on a tourist visa will not bring it up.

The immigration officers on entry are telling people with to many visa exempt entries to get a visa for their next entry.

 

Hi Ubonjoe, 

 

do you know if that "alert" somehow disappear?

I mean, if I go back to France and only come back in Thailand in 6/7 months, is that period enough to turn it off? Or wouldn't change anything flagged once, flagged forever? 

[JerryinTH]

4 hours ago, bangkokbanjo said:

Education visa work well

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Before the crackdown - yes. 

 

Now you actually have to play by the book, attend a min amount of classes per week and beg for an extension every 90 days.. at inflated prices, depending on the I/O.